Delhi pollution curbs effective from Nov 1, bus fares may rise by 15-20%

Bus fares could rise by 15-20% and the supply of essential goods face disruption as Delhi bars entry to non-BS-VI petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside the Capital from Sunday under its Winter Action Plan, transporters warned, while maintaining that the restrictions could cause financial losses and push up transportation costs.

Gurmeet Singh, owner of Highway Travels, said on Saturday that unlike previous years, buses with tourist permits would not be exempt from the restrictions. “This ban will lead to enormous losses for us, as these three months are the tourist season. Many foreign tourists also visit different cities of North India,” said Singh, who operates 450 buses. Around 50 of his buses will be unable to enter Delhi.

Anil Dixit, owner of Noida-based Skyline Motors, said the restrictions come during the festive season, when people travel to their hometowns or visit relatives in other cities. “Almost everyone takes these buses on loans. How are we supposed to pay EMIs when these buses cannot ply for the three months when the earnings were supposed to be maximum?” he asked.

According to bus operators, as the number of buses that can travel to and from Delhi will reduce, it could push up ticket prices by 15-20%. “During this time of the year, all the buses used to run full and seats are difficult to find because of the festive rush. There will be a severe shortage this time,” a fleet owner said.

While larger private operators and state-run bus services may be able to shift older vehicles to routes outside Delhi, smaller operators are likely to bear the brunt. “We will have to arrange tempo travellers or other modes of transport for passengers to reach the drop-off site from the border. Auto and cab drivers will benefit from this,” Singh said.

Around 2.5 lakh goods carriers could be affected by the restrictions, according to the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).

Gunjeet Singh, owner of Sangha Freight, operates around 50 trucks, 35 of which are BS-IV vehicles purchased between 2018 and 2020. “Due to these restrictions, I have been trying to sell them. I can’t keep them sitting idle, as that will mean losses for me. But even their resale value has fallen from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 9 lakh,” he added.

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Transporters also warned that restrictions could disrupt the movement of perishable goods, a large share of which reaches Delhi by road from across the country.

Apples, for instance, come primarily from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, while potatoes are sourced from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, and onions from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Milk supplies come largely from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, while poultry products and eggs are transported from Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh.

Disruption in the movement of these goods could delay supplies to wholesale markets such as Azadpur and Ghazipur, increase transportation costs and eventually push up prices for consumers, they added.

Harish Sabharwal, AIMTC president, said the transport industry was already grappling with rising operational costs, taxes and toll charges. “A sudden restriction on vehicle operations for three months would severely affect their earnings, while loan instalments, insurance premiums, other financial liabilities and household expenses would continue,” he said.